The present invention relates to a connecting element for the electrical connection of electronics modules. The invention further relates to an electronics module arrangement for installation in a cylindrical installation space and to a rolling bearing arrangement with such connecting elements.
The area of use of the connecting element according to the invention and the electronics module arrangement concerns applications in which electronics modules that can realize different functions are to be installed in cylindrical installation spaces with different diameters. The installation space is hereby uniquely described by the parameters: inner diameter, outer diameter, and height. An electronics module is defined by its outer geometry, its contacts, and functionality. Electronics modules are, for example, sensors, actuators, signal processing devices, and data storage devices.
According to the current state of the art, electrical measurement devices or additional electronics components are typically designed and used for a predefined size for installation in cylindrical installation spaces, for example, in rolling bearings. Their shape is dependent, in particular, on the diameter of the installation space. This has the big disadvantage that solutions designed for a certain installation space diameter cannot be used for different installation space diameters. Therefore, for different installation space diameters, different solutions must be provided.
WO 2013/050801 A1 shows a sensor arrangement for installation in a rolling bearing installation space with a sensor body and multiple sensor cells. Every sensor cell is connected to a connecting element that is mounted on the sensor body. The connecting element is used to supply power to the sensor cells and to transmit sensor data. The connecting element comprises connecting contacts with elastically deformable connectors for realizing a crimped connection to the connecting element. The connecting contacts also have elastically deformable bushings for producing a crimped connection to a sensor cell.
WO 2010/070392 describes a rolling bearing arrangement with an encoder washer connected locked in rotation to the rotating bearing ring and multiple sensors for detecting a rotational parameter of the encoder washer and mechanical adjusting means for setting the radial distance between the encoder washer and each individual sensor. The sensors can be arranged on a flexible circuit board that is arranged, in turn, in a body. The body has recesses for holding the sensors. Alternatively, the sensors are connected to each other by means of flexible electrical conductors and arranged with these conductors within the body.
In WO 2013/005067 A1, a sensor arrangement integrated in a rolling bearing is described for determining the angular position of a rotating component. The sensor arrangement comprises a sensor body that is used for holding sensor cells arranged circumferentially around a rotational axis. Every sensor cell is connected to a signal processing unit of the sensor arrangement by means of electrical connecting means.
WO 2013/005068 A1 shows a set of sensor units for detecting the angular position of a rotating element with respect to a fixed element. Every sensor unit comprises a sensor body that is equipped with a number of sensor cells arranged circumferentially around its rotational axis. Each sensor cell is connected to a signal processing unit. The sensor units of the set comprise identical sensor units and signal processing units. In addition, the sensor units contain different coding elements and electrical connection devices that are each adapted to different sizes of the rotating element.